Deiseanna fostaíochta san AE
February 6, 2014
Learn Irish for less at Coláiste na nOileán
February 6, 2014
Located in the heart of the Connemara Gaeltacht, Coláiste na nOileán is one of the longest-running Irish colleges.
The college offers a number of course options. Five day summer Gaeltacht course for fifth and sixth class primary A specially designed five day residential course for fifth and sixth class primary students, this completely separate and fully supervised course is especially designed around parents’ requests and caters specifically for this age group. Three week summer courses The extremely popular three-week courses have made the college stand out from the rest with special courses for those sitting the Leaving Cert and Junior Cert 2014. Great emphasis is placed on the oral Irish test which accounts for 40 per cent of the awarded grade.
One, two, and three day Gaeltacht activity courses The college also runs one, two, and three day mini Gaeltacht activity courses during the school year that would suit all ages from fifth and sixth class primary students up to transition year in secondary. The courses include a huge range of activities, all through the medium of Irish, which make it a fun packed adventure. Coláiste na nOileán believes that learning Irish should be fun as this helps to cultivate a love for the Irish language and its culture, a formula that has made Coláiste na nOileán a huge success for over half a century. It is also running special offers for mid-term break and Easter.
For further details on all courses and to download a brochure visit www.colaistenannoilean.ie or contact the college on 091 551933/595890 or email colnanoilean@gmail.com.
www.advertiser.ie
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Gaeltacht courses in Coláiste Cholumba in An Cheathrú Rua
February 6, 2014
Coláiste Cholumba is located in An Cheathrú Rua in the heart of the Connemara Gaeltacht and provides a base for students to further their appreciation and knowledge of not only the Irish language but also of Ireland’s rich historical culture.
Courses are graded and cater for primary students, pre-Junior Cert and pre-Leaving Cert, with special tuition on oral examinations. The college will run three separate three-week courses over the summer, the first running from June 2 to June 23, then from June 24 to July 15, and finally from July 16 to August 8. Coláiste Cholumba uses the communicative approach in Irish classes and avails of modern teaching aids as well as drama and other techniques to ensure that each student has the greatest opportunity to improve his or her Irish.
These courses are inclusive of accommodation, food, tuition, sports activities and travel during the course. Coláiste Cholumba is also famed for its theme nights which include Dubh agus Bán, Céilí 60s, Céilí Gléasta, Oíche Hawaii, Oíche Hollywood, Oíche Pop stars, Oíche Culchie, Oíche na gcontaetha, Céilí Tire, and many more. It’s hard to imagine a more fun filled experience in one of the most popular Irish summer colleges.
Coláiste Cholumba also runs special courses for those sitting the Leaving Cert 2014, Junior Cert, and for sixth class primary and first year post primary students. For further details/special offers contact 091 595184, email colaistecholumba@gmail.com or log on to www.colaistecholumba.ie You can also find Coláiste Cholumba on Facebook and Twitter.
www.advertiser.ie
Lá Mór na Gaeilge
February 4, 2014
Ní thuigim a n-intinn
February 3, 2014
From June there will be six organisations looking after the Irish voluntary sector. Thirteen other organisations will have to get funding from elsewhere or go to the wall. None of the six is based in the North. This is bureaucracy gone mad. A lot of Foras na Gaeilge’s work has been highly successful. But why can they not build on what they have done? We lost the newspaper Foinse a few years ago. At that time Foinse was one of the best newspapers in the country. It was far better than most of the English language papers. It attracted top writers. The paper had problems regarding circulation and advertising. But instead of helping Foinse through this, Foras terminated its contract and gave it to Gaelscéal. The Gaelscéal staff lacked necessary experience and their contract was ended early. Now we don’t have a national newspaper in Irish. (The Indo publishes a small supplement every Wednesday, and that’s your lot.) Comhdháil Náisiúnta na Gaeilge set up a very professional Internet site: www.gaelport.com It provides pieces of news about the Irish language as well as information about Irish events. It is a very good service: there is a demand for it, but the service is limited. The Comhdháil has a highly qualified staff, and with extra funding it could develop the service. Now an Chomhdháil will be gone in six months and this service will most likely disappear too.
www.derryjournal.com
Galway created sexy Irish — now it must maintain it
January 31, 2014
Just last week the RTE player featured a video shot in Galway in January 1964, exactly 50 years before. It was classic black and white television reportage style of the type that exemplified the early days of Montrose and focused on the news that week that Galway was planning to become an official Irish-speaking city over the next few years.
The reporter spoke to Mayor Martin Divilly (grandfather of Galway Bay fm’s Jon Richards), businessman Paddy Ryan, university president Martin Newell and a whole host of what you’d call ordinary folk, all of whom thought it would be a great idea if the city became Irish speaking. Then, like now, most of them said that they had but a few focails, but that they would be willing to learn.
The Galway of that video was a grey place, one that you could never imagine would turn into the colourful carnival capital of the west, the party hub of Ireland, the place to which tens of thousands of young people would flock every year to have their heads turned and their hearts stolen. In the latter part of the half-century that divided the two eras, the Irish language eventually came to play a large part in the culture of the city, nurtured through by the establishment of media such as RnaG and Tg4 and a host of other public and private groupings.
Suddenly, the city and county were bearing the fruits of the newfound sexiness of the language. Businesses proudly bore their signage and menus in Irish. Attractive males and females took to the airwaves to bring the new sexy Irish to a new generation. It was as if Peig Sayers had never existed. But with that in mind, it is all the more surprising that next Monday, a crisis meeting about the treatment of the mother tongue is to be held in the county.
The public meeting is being organized as part of a new language rights campaign that has been established in response to the crisis created by announcement of the Language Commissioner, Seán Ó Cuirreáin, that he would be stepping down from his position as a result of the lack of engagement he has received from the Government. The meeting will be held in Seanscoil Sailearna, Indreabhán at 8.00pm and language activist, Donncha Ó hÉalaithe, and Julian de Spáinn, general secretary of Conradh na Gaeilge will be keynote speakers. It will be chaired by Nórita Ní Chartúir, from Acadamh na hollscolaíochta Gaeilge, NUIG.
The meeting is open to everyone in the community and it will provide the opportunity to focus on the actions needed to fight for the language rights of the Gaeltacht and Irish language community. Monday also happens to be the closing date for entries into this year’s Gradam Sheosaimh Uí Ógartaigh 2014 hosted by Gaillimh le Gaeilge. That competition more than anything else has helped draw in businesses who would be less than confident about their ability to be seen as promoting Irish, but this has eliminated any such awkwardness and resulted in Irish being increasingly visible throughout Galway city. Your business or enterprise can and should be entered in this competition.
Ba chathair uathúil í Cathair na Gaillimhe riamh anall, áit dhifriúil. Chun uathúlacht na cathrach a chosaint, is í an chloch is mó a bheas ar ár bpaidrín ná leanúint ar aghaidh ag troid ar son na Gaeilge. Cuirtear tús leis an gcath chun a chinntiú go mbeidh ról ag an nGaeilge labhartha agus scríofa i nGaillimh na 21ú haoise sa chaoi go mbeidh na daoine sa 22ú haois in ann leanúint ar aghaidh ag baint leas agus tairbhe aisti.
Galway has always been a city of uniqueness, a different place. It will be the strength of our conviction to battle to maintain the Irish language that will continue to define it as a different place. Let the battle begin to ensure that spoken and written Irish have a role to play in the Galway of the 21st century, so that the people in the 22nd century will continue to enjoy the benefits it brings.
www.advertiser.ie/galway
Disaster for Irish Language
January 30, 2014
The Decision to centralise Irish Language resources in Dublin has been branded as “disastrous” for the future of Gaelic in the North.
Foras na Gaeilge has been charged by the North South Ministerial Council to reorganise core funding for the 19 Irish language organisations. Seven of these are based in the north – but Foras na Gaeilge is so centralise its resources around six Dublin-based organisations from June 30.
Pobal, the advocacy organisation for the Irish language, has said the decision is a serious blow for the promotion of Gaelic in the north. Janet Muller, Pobal’s CEO said: “This will mean a loss of services and support for Irish speakers in the north. “Not one single organisation selected by Foras na Gaeilge is based in the north. “This means that they do not have the same local knowledge and experience at the heart of their policies and approaches. “This will have a fundamental influence on the development of the Irish language here.” The six directors of the six organisations to be funded will meet via a Foras na Gaeilge chaired forum to co-ordinate all provisions and services from Dublin. “There will be a massive drop in the authoritative , leadership and strategic roles for northern workers,” Ms Muller said.
“Even if a small number of people with northern expertise get jobs, it will be very difficult for them to determine or influence organisational policy, to negotiate with politicians and service providers or to structure a work plan according to the specific needs of the north. “All these things will be decided in Dublin. Pobal claim Foras na Gaeilge’s proposals will also severely damage the language throughout the country. “This has been a divisive and highly flawed process,” Ms Muller said. “The language in the north has come out of it very badly. “Pobal has always carried out coordination, research and project work on an all-Ireland basis. “But it is obvious that in the north the infrastructure is less developed, and the social, political and legislative position of the language is completely different from that in the south. “the effects of these decisions from Foras will be disastrous. “We urge the minister for culture, arts and leisure to intervene and make clear, detailed instructions as to how the damage from these proposals must be mitigated.”
The move comes as Europe’s leading human rights agency, the Council of Europe, claims that the promotion of the Irish language in Northern Ireland is being blocked by hostile attitudes in Stormont, as well as by a lack of support for its use in the courts and in education. The Council of Europe criticised attitudes to Irish in some official circles and what it said is the Stormont Assembly’s “persisting hostile climate”.
Caral Ní Chuilin, the minister for culture, arts and leisure, said she would bring in new legislation during the current assembly term. “There is a large body of support for an Irish language act in the north,” she said “As languages are now a devolved matter full legislation will require the agreement of the executive and assembly. “I hope that all supporters of the Irish language will work together to convince the executive the assembly and all our people of the merits of supporting an Irish language act.”
www.irishnews.com
Cruinniú Poiblí ar son chearta na Gaeilge
January 30, 2014
Learn Irish for less at Coláiste na nOileán
January 30, 2014
Located in the heart of the Connemara Gaeltacht, Coláiste na nOileán is one of the longest-running Irish colleges.
The college offers a number of course options. Five day summer Gaeltacht course for fifth and sixth class primary A specially designed five day residential course for fifth and sixth class
primary students, this completely separate and fully supervised course is especially designed around parents’ requests and caters specifically for this age group. Three week summer courses The extremely popular three-week courses have made the college stand out from the rest with special courses for those sitting the Leaving Cert and Junior Cert 2014. Great emphasis is placed on the oral Irish test which accounts for 40 per cent of the awarded grade.
One, two, and three day Gaeltacht activity courses The college also runs one, two, and three day mini Gaeltacht activity courses during the school year that would suit all ages from fifth and sixth class primary students up to transition year in secondary. The courses include a huge range of activities, all through the medium of Irish, which make it a fun packed adventure. Coláiste na nOileán believes that learning Irish should be fun as this helps to cultivate a love for the Irish language and its culture, a formula that has made Coláiste na nOileán a huge success for over half a century. It is also running special offers for mid-term break and Easter. For further details on all courses and to download a brochure visit www.colaistenanoilean.ie or contact the college on 091 551933/595890 or email colnanoilean@gmail.com.
www.advertiser.ie
Na mílte ag siúl ar son na Gaeilge
January 29, 2014
